Pythia had been the one to hide the box, knowing that fate would bring us to this point.
“To this point?” I said, questioning that statement with a nod of my head and reminding her where we were.
“Well, maybe not to this point,” she admitted sheepishly.
Despite what my mother believed, I didn't trust this. That was because I knew the witch and Matthias had used the box as a tool to get me and Lucius together, and everything had been orchestrated up until this point. Which begged the question, had my mother been played by the Fates?
“It’s all about blood, all of it. He said he planted the box, what if it isn’t just Lucius’ blood that can open it, what if it’s actually the Devil’s, something all three of them have?” I asked, thinking back over time.
“But Luc said he took it back,” my mother added, reminding me of the Devil taking back his blood from Matthias.
“Yeah, well, I don’t know, what if he didn’t get it all? I mean, they have known everything, every move we have made, what if it was because of the box. But then really, who the fuck knows…?”
“Oi, language!” my mum snapped, making me give her a disbelieving look.
“Really, Mum, we are in Hell, about to get our asses handed to us and cause a war in Hell… and you’re telling me off about my language!”
“I’m a mum, sweetheart, even when in Hell,” was her crazy reply.
“Yeah, and speaking of Hell,” I said, as I nodded ahead when we finally came to the end of the climb, and there in front of us was Mount Tartarus… or what was left of it.
The vast space in between it was where I knew the battle would take place, as it made the most sense. It was also one I knew would not be the first to see blood spilt upon its sand, as my mum explained to me what happened that day she took down the Titans.
I had to say it was difficult, knowing that my clumsy mother, who usually tripped over her own feet and would fall by putting jeans on too quickly, could have the ability to take down the Gods. Of course, she explained about having the blood of Pertinax, and using this to be able to accomplish the task, for only a God had the power to kill a God.
Well, it was just a shame then that Lucifer had taken this essence from my mother, making her once more who she was before. Which was part vampire thanks to Lucius turning her, and also, what my father’s essence had also made her. My mum joked, calling herself Heinz 57, saying there were lots of ingredients that made up her mix. Or her natural brand of crazy as Pip would call it.
But then, after this, and with that long way to go still ahead of us, I asked her,
“I know it is not your place, but I need to know. I need to know his past.” My mum released a deep sigh and told me,
“I understand, and even though it is not my story to tell, I also know it's one he regrets not telling you himself, as he told me this.”
“He did?!” I asked in a hopeful tone, making my mother smile and then she grabbed my hand and gave it a squeeze.
“Would your mother lie to you?”
“I think you just admitted to lying to me, quite a lot actually.”
“Okay, so good point, but I wouldn't lie to you now so… yes, he said that.” I laughed a little after this, and it would be the last time I did for a long while. As soon after, came one of the hardest conversations I've ever had in my life, as I forced myself to listen to the heart-breaking story of Judas.
I should have been hurt that he had told my mother this before me, but then it's like she reminded me, you often kept the hardest things to say from those you loved the most. And it was true, he had wanted to protect me from the truth, just like my mother and father had. He had protected me from the past that had been too painful for him to want to recall to the person he loved the most. To the one he knew it would affect the most. Because the pain of someone you loved affected you deeper than someone who was there to just listen.